Internal-combustion engine.



w. G. sm. y I INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZ. 1916.

Patented Dec. 19,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. G. STITT.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLlATloN FILED MAY 21, 1915.

54, Patented Dee. 19,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEE'T 2.

vv. s. STITT.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. A

MPLICATION FILED MAY 27| 1916.

'w I uw@ f W 5; N LQ x d' tr/x, N f lq R g, QQ

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 'WASHINGTON G. STITT, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQR 0F ONE-FOURTH TQ JAMES F. KEEFEANDONEFOU`RTH TO STANLEY M. LONG, 0F PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Patented bec. 19, 1916.

Application led May 27, 1916. Serial No. 100,221.7.'

.To all 'whom'z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, WASHINGTON G. S'rrr'r, a citizen of the United States, and

resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Alf legheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Internal-Combustion Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to internal-combustion engines of four-cycle horizontal opposedcylinder type, and more especially to the arrangement of the cylinders, the construction of pistons and piston-rods.

Heretofore in the construction of engines of this type of four or more cylinders, the practice has been to construct each opposed set of cylinders, or each cylinder as a separate unit, the several units being assembled and bolted 'to the crank case, andeach cylinder of an opposed pair of cylinders being offset one from the other to provide for piston-rod crank-pin bearing. v

The chiefA disadvantages of such arrangement being increased over'all length of the engine, separate crank-pin connections, wide separation of cylinders, and dilculties obtain in the alinement of cylinders and parts, increasing the labor in assembling, with attendant high cost in manufacture.

The object of my invention is to improve that class of engines whereby the construc.

tion will be simplified and compact, and which can be manufactured cheaply and conveniently assembled.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the" accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical sectionthrough a pair of opposed cylinders, the piston of the cylinders being in neutral-or balanced position in respect to the position of the crank; Fig. 2 isa horizontal sectional view through the engine cylinders, the piston of one pair of, cylinders being in like section; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion'of the crank-shaft and piston-rod connections;

yFig'. 4( is a longitudinal sectional view through a pair ofcylinders andpiston with the piston at the end of its stroke; and Fig.

5 isa like view showing the` osition of parts when the'piston at the leftandsside .of the/- drawing is at the beginning of the explosion .Stroke and the other! cylinder exhausting.

The numeral Q. indicates the body of an eight-cylinder, four-cycle engine, the cylinders 3 being arranged horizontally in two sets of four, one set each side ofy the crank-shaft 4. `The outer ends of the cylinders lof each set are covered by a single head or cap-plate 5. The engine is cooled by Water introduced and circulated in suitable spaces 6 formed in the body around the cylinders and in the cap-plates 5.

The body of the engine is shown in its simplest form as a single casting, the cylinders being integral therewith, but I do not phases of a four-cycle engine; and valve mechanism other than that which is shown may be employed without departing lfrom the principle of my ifvention. The mechanism shown comprises the cam shaft 7 drivenn by gearing from the crank-shaft 4, and operates through cams 9 to rock levers 10 and 10*l to open intake and exhaust valves 11 and 12 respectively, the intake valve of one cylinder and the exhaust valve of the opposite cylinder beingv operated simultaneously by a single cam 9, the Valve bores for all of the valves being in the same lane and parallel ,with the bores of the cylinders.

Each opposed pairof cylinders is provided with a single, double-acting piston member 13, formed of two half sections- 15 connected as at 16. This menberis adapted to connect the pistons of each cylinder and'` forms a hollow skeleton frame to house the crank and piston-rods, the ends ofthe members terminating in,v heads 17- itting the bore of the oylinder.- Piston-heads 18 are detachably tted to the ends of the piston to receive the heads y2() of a piston-rod mem-k ber 21. Each cylinder has a piston-rod connected toa single crank-pin bearihg 24 withfL in the piston member.

l-journal 24, as distinguished from the usual practice of piston-rod connection to the crank-pin in opposed cylinder arrangement. vThe purpose of this arrangement is toprovide ample bearing 'surface without increas-` ing the length of the crank journal or decreasing the bearing surface of thepistonrod connection to the 'crank-pin.

in contact with4 the crank-pin, vand has' a flanged enel portion 23 which forms a jour- Iral bearing concentric with the crank-pin,

and is adaptedto receive a strap 25 which connects it tothe member 23 of the opposite pis ton-rod. v v er Inthe operation of my improved engine,

the mvementoi:l .the double pistonimparts 'rotary motion to the engine shaft through itstelescoping piston-rods comprising the members 21, 22 and 23. VIn Fig. 4 is shown the position of these members when thepis ton is atthe 4end of its stroke,.the crank on dead center, and the piston-rods in'their shortened position. It will beobservedin -this view that both piston-rod members 21\ are' in engagement with their seats 22. As#- suming that this position of. the crank represents the piston attlie beginning of the explosion strokepmo'vement of the piston to 'the right from this position, as indicated in Fig, 5, will cause memberl21a't theleft handto remain in contact with itsse'at` during the expansion stroke of tliepiston, or for 180J movement of .the crank. The other piston-rod, by reason of its connection to tle same crank-pinf wilL-during movement of the pistomelon'gate the member 21 sepaating from `vits seat 22, .elongation commencing at the beginning of the'stroke and continu'- ing until the crank has ymoyed 90'degrees, when shortening of the distance between the 'crank-pin and the opposite end of the piston will cause members 21 and 22 to move together, which movement continues until the crank is again on dead center and the piston at the end of its strokein the lopposite direction. j

It is obvious by consideration of the fore- This is accomplished in the following manner.: Each. member 23 has only a segmental bearing face I going that a reverse movement of thefpiston` will causethe right hand piston-rod members to impart motion vto the crank while the left-hand piston-rod adjusts itself longitudinally.` v

The advantages of the invention-'will be found to reside in the provision of a multiple cylinder engine of the type described, which' can be cheaply and conveniently manufactured,-which iscompact in size, vand readily adaptable to modern automobile and motor boat construction,which provides formax of ucylinder sets.`

What VI claim is: ,y

1. In an internal-combustion engine, .the combination with a pair of, pposed cyl- 'inders, of van engine'crank-shaft, a single piston member common 4'to both cylinders, and extensible vpistonrods within the piston imum crank-throw without wide separationI member journaled in each end of the piston member and'journal'ed to a single crank-pin' of' vthe crank-shaft.

combination with a pair of opposed cylin- 2. YIn an internal-combustion engine, the

ders, of an4 engine crank-shaft, a single piston member' common to both cylinders, f.

g and extensible pistoni-rods within the piston member and having like non-shiftable journal connections to the piston and to a single crank-pin of the crank-shaft. i 3. In Aan internal-combustion engine, the

combination with a pair'of opposed cylinders of lan engine crank-shaft, ya single piston member common to both cylinders,

and extensible piston-rods within the piston member having relatively xedfjournal connections'to the piston member and h ing like opposite connectionsto asingleq. crankpin of the crank-shaft.

ders, Fof an engine crank-shaft,l ai' single piston member common to both cylinders,A

and piston-rods within'theo piston member,

-having relatively fixed journal connections to each end of the pistonl member, said piston-rods composed of` a piston-rod member 'and a pitman member having slidingconnection with each other.

y 4. In an internal-cilribustion engine, the A A combination with a p 5. In an internalcombu'stion'-eiigineflfthe combination withv a pair of op oeed cylinl "ders, of -an engine crank-sha a 'single piston member common to both cylinders, 126,-

.an'd piston-rods within the piston member,-

"havig A relativel to each end ofY one within the'other: p h y 6. In an internal-,combustion en e, the combination 'with a' pair of 'op sed cylinber centrally jourpaled end offiredl pivotal connections1 the piston member', saidpiston-rods comprising members' telescop' ing ders, of -an engine crank-'sha a single Y piston member common to both.' cylinders., and extensiblel piston-rodswithin the piston "15o said member in respect to the longitudinal axis thereof; and having alined journal connections With the crank pin of the crank shaft( I 7. In an internal-combustion engine,"the combinationnwith" a pair `of opposed cylinders, of an engine crank-shaft, a single piston member common to both cylinders,-

and piston-rods within the piston member `having fixed pivotal connections-With each end ofsa-id member,"aut'omatically adjustable -longitudinally to the throvv of the crank of the crank-shaft. t

8. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination With a pair of horizontally 'opposed cylinders, of anengine crank-shaft, a

` single piston member connnon to both cylinders, and extensible pistonlrods oppositely disposed having relatively 'fixed pivotal connections to said member and to the crank yof the. crank-shaftwithin the piston member.

9,. In an internal-combustion, engine, the

A, combination With a pair of. opposed cylinders, an engine crank-shaft, a single piston member common to both cylinders, and extensible piston-rodsiwithih the piston membercentrally journaled inreach end of said :member and having alined pivotal connec 'l tions with the crank ofA the crankshaft.

10. Inan 7internal-combustion engine, the

.combination With a pair of opposed cylinders, an engine crank-shaft, a single piston member common to both cylinders, and-extensible piston-rods Within thelpiston mem-1 ber having relatively fixed journal conneol. tion with said member, said' pistonrods 'comprising a piston-rod member and ea pitman'inember, said pitman member being adjustable longitudinally, and means for locking said member inadjusted position.

11. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination withA a pair of opposed lcylim ders, an engine crankshaft, a single piston .member common to both cylinders, and expiston memtensible piston-rods Within the ber having nonvariable j o'nrnai connections to each end of said member, said pistonrods comprising a piston-.rod member, and ,y a pltman member, said pltman member having 'amadjustable crank bearing portion, and' means for locking said-bearing portion to said pitman. Y J 12. In internallcombustion' engines, fthe combinationwith a pair of opposed cylinders of an engine crank-shaft, a` single piston member common to'both cylinders, and extensible piston-rods 'oppositely disposed Withixt the piston member journaled centrally in eachend ofsaid member and l-eaclrhaving a bearing portion With a bearf ing face extending for the full width of the crank-pin of the crank-shaft, said bearing portions having their opposite'ends formed into journals concentric with the crank-pin,

ing both bearing portions. j j In testimony whereof, I, the sald I NefroN S'rrrr, have hereunto set my hand.

y Witnesses:

'Rom'. D;To'rrEN, i

JOHN F. WILL. if

l65 .and straps engaging said journals connect-l 

